Indigenous Music Awards 2017: And the nominees are …

After a one-year hiatus, the Indigenous Music Awards are back. And from the looks of it, they’ll be better than ever.

“We took a year to re-vamp the award show, so we could make it even more beneficial for the artists,” says Jacquie Black, manager of the Indigenous Music Awards and Arts Program. “Good things take time and thought, and we’ve put in a lot of both of those things and are very excited to see the winners walk across the stage.”

In addition to awards in 18 categories, the new and improved awards show will feature a red carpet arrival party and performances by Crystal Shawanda, Northern Cree (who will also receive a lifetime achievement award), Christa Couture and Felipe ‘Bass Invader’ Gomez, among others. There will also be a free one-day Indigenous Music Conference, where artists can learn about management, marketing and more from a panel of experts with real-world experience.

Another new twist for this year’s edition is the voting system. Unlike past events, which used a public voting system, the winners will be selected by industry professionals.

“This gives nominated artists the chance to get their music in front of industry professionals that may not have heard their music otherwise,” Black says. “It also gives more credibility to the award, making winners even more proud of their amazing accomplishment.”

This year’s IMAs are presented by Casinos of Winnipeg and will take place on May 19 at the Club Regent Event Centre. For live coverage from the red carpet, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We will also be announcing the winners live from the venue on Twitter.